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California Governor Vows to Bring Arsonists to Justice, Prosecute Scammers in Fires' Aftermath; Four Charred Bodies Found on Smuggler's Trail Crossing the Mexican Border
Aired October 27, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ENRIQUE MARONES, BORDER ANGELS: While the Mercedes and Jaguars were leaving these wealthy areas in the north county of San Diego, they were hunched over like they are now, continuing to work. They never stopped.
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WHITFIELD: Up next in the NEWSROOM, illegal immigrants keep right on working during the devastating California wildfires. Fear of losing their jobs trumps fear of losing their lives.
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GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CALIFORNIA: If anyone tries to exploit this tragedy, I will make sure that the state of California will do everything possible, that you will pay for it for the rest of your life.
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WHITFIELD: Tough words from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to arson suspects.
And then take a look at this: A loss two years in the making. A teenager put way for having sex with a 15-year-old girl now a free man.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I bought that gun about 25, 30 years ago for my protection.
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WHITFIELD: He's elderly and blind and, guess what, also armed. Now a robber is probably second-guessing his choice of victims.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Here's the latest on the wildfires. At last report half of the fires in Southern California had reached full contain, but three major blazes continue to challenge thousands of weary firefighters. More than 20,000 homes remain under threat. More than 1,600 have been destroyed. A number of deaths linked to the fire stands at 14 and doctors report an increase in respiratory problems caused by lingering smoke.
Also today Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced more aid to fire victims in the form of grants of up to $10,000 for fire-related expenses. He vowed to hunt down suspected arsonists and to squelch disaster profiteers. With more on that part of the story, CNN's John Zarrella -- John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. That's exactly right. Governor Schwarzenegger was here a few moments ago (AUDIO GAP) news briefing ending. He, along with local and state officials coming together to talk about the real dark side of this natural disaster. Both the arsons and both fraud now, that they are seeing being perpetrated on the victims.
People out there, scammers, contractors. They have already arrested two scammers that they said ended up having -- being wanted for other crimes, including attempted murder. So they are not sparing any quarter here. They are going after people who are going to try to take advantage of people. The big issue, of course, the arson, in Santiago Canyon.
This fire, which still burns -- and the governor said they will hunt them down, they will prosecute them and they are not going to rest until they do.
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SCHWARZENEGGER: If I were one of those people who started the fires, I would not sleep soundly right now, I will tell you. Because we are right behind you. As a matter of fact, if I would be you, turn yourself in.
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ZARRELLA: Now, they have already gotten about 1,000 tips coming into the tip line here. No more tips, according to the sheriff here regarding the F-150 pickup truck, that white F-150 they are looking for. And that's the one they saw -- somebody saw up on the Santiago Canyon Road on Sunday evening between 5:45 and 6:00 p.m. They want to talk to the people who were in that white F-150. They are not suspects but they are persons of interest.
Again, so far no more leads on that. They are working a number of other leads, they say, but again, they are asking for more of the public's help to continue giving them information and tips so they can bring these people, as the governor said, to justice and to prosecute them.
Again, one more thing, Fredricka, back on this issue of the scammers. They have about 100 investigators on the ground in Southern California. That is the insurance commissioner's office here. And they are going after anybody that they find who is going to try to perpetrate any kind of fraud or scam on the people who are already victims of this terrible tragedy here. Hard to believe it happens, but it sure does. Not just here but in hurricanes, any natural disaster. We see it all the time on the East Coast in hurricanes. You see it here in the aftermath as well. Terrible to think that people are out there doing those kinds of things. But they will stop them if they can -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Good. It is so discouraging, so disappointing to think people would want to kick someone while they are already down, for goodness sake. John Zarrella, thank you very much.
Coming up later we will introduce you to one of the many voluntary groups that is stepping up and springing into action to help their fellow Californians. And outbreak of generosity. That's a few minute as way right here in the NEWSROOM.
And here now is a view of those California fires from high above the Earth. This is an image taken by an Air Force U-2 spy plane. It shows the Grass Valley Fire as it looked two days ago. The lighter areas are flames advancing across the region, quite extensive, right there. And then, this image right here comes from an Air Force Global Hawk drone aircraft. Is it captures the forward line of the Harris Fire and massive wall of smoke caused by the blazes and pushed by those fierce winds.
Not everyone in Southern California was able to evacuate the areas threatened by the wildfires. Some immigrants say they were afraid to ask for help. Others got trapped among the flames as they tried to cross the border. Here is CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.
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THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a remote canyon near the border, a tragic discovery in the aftermath of the Harris Fire -- four charred bodies. No one knows their names or where they came from, only that they died a horrific death.
DAMON FOREMAN, U.S. BORDER PATROL: Maybe the people were trying to flee from the fire. Two of the bodies looked like they were severely burned.
GUTIERREZ: Authorities say this desert corridor between San Diego and Mexico is used by border crossers. During the fires, dozens of illegal immigrants surrendered to the Border Patrol because they could not outrun the flames.
FOREMAN: The Border Patrol is very concerned. This is a tragedy. These fires, unfortunately, do sometimes take lives and we found that situation is right now.
GUTIERREZ: While tens of thousands evacuated to nearby shelters, many could not. They are undocumented and were afraid to ask for help. And there was another reason --
I asked Yusidro Gonzales (ph), the father of seven, from Oaxaca (ph), Mexico, why he didn't go to an evacuation center. He says he could not go, that he came to work. And if he missed one or two days, he could lose his jobs, and he has kids in Mexico to support.
(On camera): You're saying that they actually -- while everybody else was evacuated, you're saying those workers continued to work in the field?
ENRIQUE MORONES, BORDER ANGELS: They continued to work. There was ash falling. It was really smoky. It was dangerous. We came up here right away on Monday. We brought them masks, food, blankets.
GUTIERREZ: Enrique Morones, with the organization Border Angels, says they worked with flames and thick smoke around them while others fled for safety.
MORONES: The Mercedes and Jaguars were leaving, these wealthy areas in the north county of San Diego, they were hunched over like they are now, continuing to work. They never stopped.
GUTIERREZ: Gonzalez (ph) says he continues to work breathing in smoke and ash. Like the people in the canyon killed by the fire, it was a journey Gonzalez once made himself three months ago, risking it all to work here. Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, San Diego.
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WHITFIELD: The fire alone was dangerous and then the smoke produced by all of that fire, that, too, really dangerous as well. Dr. Bill Lloyd will be joining us later on in the hour to discuss the dangers of inhaling smoke, and what you can do to prevent any kind of permanent lung damage.
Now to Georgia, where former honors student and football star Genarlow Wilson is finally free. Today he is no doubt thinking about his future and picking up the pieces of his youth interrupted by a conviction for having consensual oral sex with another teen. Our Rusty Dornin was there when Wilson stepped out of prison.
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RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Twenty-one-year- old Genarlow Wilson walked out of prison into the arms of his mother and nine-year-old sister. He was almost three years into a 10-year prison sentence that the Georgia supreme court decided was cruel and unusual punishment for his crime.
That crime was having oral sex with a 15-year-old when he was 17. The ruling came on a 4-3 vote. Wilson's case made headlines around the world, and after his short reunion, he walked straight to the microphones.
GENARLOW WILSON, FREED PRISONER: I want to say thank you, very much. It means a lot to me and my family that so many people came to our defense and stood up and fought for us.
DORNIN: A year after Wilson was convicted, his case spurred Georgia legislators to change the law, making consensual sex between minors a misdemeanor. State officials had opposed releasing Wilson fearing it would trigger appeals from other sexual offenders in prison.
Dave McDade, the district attorney who prosecuted Wilson, said in a statement that he is disappointed. "While I respectfully may disagree with the court's decision I also must respect their authority as the final arbiter in this case."
Wilson says he's been studying for college exams and hopes to study sociology. He also hopes people will learn from his experience.
WILSON: I wouldn't want anybody to go through or suffer the pain I suffered, you know, etc cetera. But you should be a little more cautious about what you do because a few minutes of, you know, fun, can be a lifetime, you know, and very hard time getting out of.
DORNIN: His mother says she always believed that justice would be done.
JUANESSA BENNETT, GENARLOW WILSON'S MOTHER: I never gave up hope in the judicial system. And I never gave up hope and all of the prayers that went out for us.
DORNIN: Not bitter, Wilson said he's matured since he walked through the prison gates here two and a half years ago. A young man who says he's ready for a whole new life. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Forsythe, Georgia.
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WHITFIELD: And Reverend Jesse Jackson wants to make sure Genarlow Wilson's plans for college are successful. The civil rights leader is holding fundraiser for Wilson at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta today. Jackson's Rainbow PUSH organization plans to contribute some $5,000 toward his education. A group of African-American Georgia lawmakers is already raised $4,000 in scholarship money for Genarlow Wilson.
Wilson shares his story with CNN on Monday night, he will be a guest on "Out In the Open" show, with Rick Sanchez. That begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, and others, plan a November 16th march on the Justice Department to demand more federal action on civil rights and hate crimes. The march is being planned in conjunction with a one-day economic boycott. CNN's Don Lemon talked with the man behind it, a man who thinks closed wallets can speak volumes.
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WARREN BALLENTINE, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: What's up, truth fighters? It is me, the people's attorney, Warren Ballentine. Welcome to my courtroom today.
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He is on 23 radio stations across the country and on XM Satellite radio nationally.
BALLENTINE: I'm drinking Red Bull and coffee, the tells you how much energy I require.
LEMON: Warren Ballentine is also an attorney. But as a radio talk show host, he says he's on a mission to wake up America to a long list of important issues.
BALLENTINE: I just want things to change, man. There are so many things going on in this country.
When you take the challenge, when you step up --
LEMON: Ballentine is calling not only on his 3 million daily listeners but the entire nation to a one-day boycott, a national blackout across the country where no one spends any money. The Friday November 2nd protest is directed towards the leaders in Washington.
BALLENTINE: We hire the politicians. We gave them their jobs. We can take their jobs away from them. We are asking for the blackout for the mortgage crisis, for the jobs being outsourced, for educational systems, for injustices -- in this country.
CROWD CHANTING: No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!
LEMON: Injustices like in Jena, Louisiana, the Genarlow Wilson case in Georgia, and the Megan Williams rape in West Virginia, along with a rash of nooses being hung around America recently. He said only African-Americans were to stop spending for one day, that would be $2 billion taken out of the economy.
Ballentine, as the organizer, is depending on bloggers and e- mailers to spread the word and he's calling on his colleagues, too.
BALLENTINE: It's something we can't do alone. You need the radio guys to come together, for the Michael Bays (ph), Tom Joyner, Steve Harry (ph) to Ricky Smiley (ph), to Howard Stern. Especially when you're dealing with something like this, you're trying to ask for a blackout that's affecting every American, not just one particular group.
LEMON: But not everyone is on board. Even some African-American business owners wonder if a blackout is a good idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As an individual, it's OK, but as a business, it can be detrimental to you.
All right, truth fighters --
LEMON: Don Lemon, CNN, Atlanta.
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WHITFIELD: And most people thought it was a symbol that time buried, right? So, why does it seem to be growing -- or rather -- why is it a growing part of our present? Kyra Phillips takes a closer look at "The Noose: American Nightmare" a CNN SIU special. That is this Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The Florida Democratic Party is holding its state conviction this weekend, but it's missing some pretty big star power. Why the major presidential hopefuls refused to attend. That's straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: The Florida Democratic State Party convention is going on right now this weekend, in Orlando. But oddly enough, not a single major Democratic presidential candidate has actually shown up.
Are the Democrats writing off the Sunshine State, or is this about something else? CNN's Jessica Yellin joins us live from Orlando to explain.
What's happening?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's a little unusual and not what you might expect of the largest gathering of Florida Democrats a year before the election. Here at the state Democratic Party convention, the only glimpse you'd have of the major candidates is on buttons and T-shirts. That's because neither Hillary Clinton, nor Barack Obama, not even John Edwards is showing up here today.
They are not coming because they all made a pledge to stay away from Florida because it jumped its primary ahead of the Super Tuesday voting date. That's not what the Democratic Party wanted so they asked all of these candidates to make a pledge not to come to town here. They did that in concert with some other national party leaders.
That means all of these folks who gathered to cheer on the candidates don't get a chance to see them. And that happens at the very same time the Republicans are in town, in Florida, crisscrossing the state nonstop. And a lot of folks are worried this will give Republicans an advantage when it comes to next year's election.
But a lot of the analysts say, no, no, it's too soon to say that. There's a lot of teeth gnashing here, behind me, and a lot of enthusiastic Democrats who are hopeful it will really won't matter in the end -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Does that mean these Democrats who are not showing up for this convention might they be avoiding the state, altogether, when it comes down to campaigning later?
YELLIN: No, very good question. What they plan to do is -- you can expect to see them in the state after a nominee is chosen. Whoever that nominee is will be in town immediately after the primary. And they even hope that maybe some of their delegates can get into the Democratic convection in the middle of next summer.
WHITFIELD: OK. Some might consider that cheating.
YELLIN: I will tell you one thing, they can still come here and raise money. Wouldn't you know that's what they want to do. They are in town every so often to take money from Florida's richly lined pockets, but not to meet with the Florida voters.
WHITFIELD: OK, money talks, as they say. Jessica Yellin, thank you so much, in Orlando.
Well, a family friend says former New York City David Dinkins is doing well following emergency surgery. Dinkins went to New York's Presbyterian hospital last night where doctors performed an emergency appendectomy. Dinkins was mayor of New York from 1990 to 1993. Doctors are hoping 80-year-old Dinkins can be discharged Monday or maybe even Tuesday.
A campaign Web site is causing quite the stir in Portland, Oregon. The brewer of Sam Adams beer is demanding a mayoral candidate take down the Web site, Sam Adams for mayor.com. The only problem is the candidate's name is actually Sam Adams. He points out while the Boston brewer claims to have owned the Sam Adams trademark since 1984, well, he's older. He's owned the name since he was born, 1963.
So when you think of baseball you think of the boys of summer, right? Not shiver. Not tonight. Well, I don't know. If you're Denver, you know what shiver is all about, right, Hillary?
HILLARY ANDREWS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You do. It's 43 degrees, right now, at Coors Field. Nearly clear skies. First pitch for game three of the World Series comes at 6 o'clock, but players not the only ones sliding. I will tell you what, World Series fans, get ready to bundle up.
WHITFIELD: Just bring a blanket. It will be all fun.
Also coming up, the dangers of trying to breathe when smoke takes over the skies. Dr. Bill Lloyd joins us live.
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WHITFIELD: Well, the U.S. military officials are being quoted by Reuters calling this latest anti-missile test a success. Right there. It came last night off the coast of Hawaii. The fourth such test for the THAD, Thermal High Altitude Area Defense, or intercepting missiles outside the planet's atmosphere.
Hillary Andrews is in the Weather Center. The last check, we were talking a little baseball. Little chill in the air, get used to it people, it's fall and almost winter.
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WHITFIELD: This is something that always seems to happen, when tragedy strikes, the best emerges out of people. In Southern California, no different, much more straight ahead.
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WHITFIELD: Here now is the latest on the wildfires. At last report more than half of the fires in Southern California had reached full containment. But three major blazes continue to challenge the efforts of thousands of weary firefighters. More than 20,000 homes remain under threat. More than 1,600 have been destroyed. The number of deaths linked to the fire stands at 14. And doctors report an increase in respiratory problems caused by lingering smoke.
Checking in on the fire evacuees now, FEMA officials today are touring an assistance center in Rancho Bernardo. It's in the hardest hit area of San Diego County. FEMA's regional administrator is assessing the magnitude of the work ahead.
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NANCY WARD, FEMA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR: Recovery is a long process for people to rebuild their lives and to get back to a sense of normalcy. Children back in schools, people back to work, homes in a stable environment for them to live in. And that's our focus here right now. We also have, you know, debris to clean up. We have restoration of burn areas that we need to move on quickly.
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WHITFIELD: And Ward praised coordination efforts between local, state and federal agencies, calling them incredible.
And then volunteer groups. Well, that's a whole other side of the humanity kicking in. They are reaching out today to people who have lost possessions in the fire. In San Diego, the local kids corps chapter set up stands with household goods collected quickly over the past two days. The group's leader said the response overwhelmed her.
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SUSAN WINTERSTEIN, CREEKSIDE KIDS CORPS: I reached out to kids and to the community and within 48 hours we had just literally thousands of people contact us with donations and volunteer time to come out and set up basically a kids corps free store through our Creekside chapter, which will allow families that have lost their homes in the fire to come out and take items for free that they may need to rebuild their lives.
Everything from toiletries and clothing and Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating next week. We have just about everything here, because it's all the little things that we forget.
We also have sister families that volunteered their storage space so if they are not ready and they're not in their rentals yet, that we will have the stuff ready for them.
So I think it's just an amazing testament to the fortitude and the tenacity of our group that just came together so quickly and it's not perfect, and it's not going to be perfect, but we are here to help these families. I think the word has gotten out. It's another indication of what a great community we live in.
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WHITFIELD: While the local kids corps chapter says the response to its plea for help was so substantial, that it actually stopped accepting anymore donations.
Well some of us can only imagine what it's like to have to breathe in the smoke-filled air from the California wildfires. The dangers they face when we talk live with Dr. Bill Lloyd next in the NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: So it's been a pretty common sight in southern California this past week -- people wearing masks. But are they protecting these folks from the pollutants the fires have been spewing into the air? CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen looks into it.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Look at this. It's not just smoke. It's an airborne toxic soup full of carbon monoxide, soot, ash, and formaldehyde. If you breathe this in, you could get sick.
Not surprisingly, there's been a run on masks around San Diego. They are not easy to find.
Finally, we found masks at this Home Depot in Poway, a suburb of San Diego. They just received a fresh shipment. The sad reality, according to experts, is that most masks simply will not keep out the junk that is abundant in the unhealthy air in parts of southern California.
Kim Prather is an environmental chemist at the University of California San Diego.
(on camera): Now this one, I've got to tell you, it feels so flimsy. Is this going to do me any good? Is it going to do me any good?
KIM PRATHER, UNIV. OF SAN DIEGO: You can see this is the main sealing. There's gaps all around the sides, and so the air is just going to go right through.
COHEN (voice over): The problem with masks like these, big particles will, indeed, bounce off, but little particles can seep right through. And it's the little particles that you have to worry about. They can lodge in your lungs and make you sick.
Now, this one she liked because of the seal.
PRATHER: That one feels good. That one's actually sealing much better.
COHEN: But even this one isn't perfect.
PRATHER: It's not going to lock out the organic toxic papers such as formaldehyde and acrolyn and things that -- carbon monoxide. So the gases will not be removed at all.
COHEN (on camera): And your data shows those gases are out there in this air.
(voice over): For that, you need this, a HEPA filter mask made to filter out particles and gases.
This mask isn't they very comfortable and can be hard to find. Probably explains why you don't see people wearing them. Instead, you see people wearing masks that might indeed make them feel better but masks that likely are not keeping out some of the most toxic stuff lingering in the air they breathe. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Poway, California.
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WHITFIELD: So Elizabeth just called the smoke in California an airborne toxic soup. Our Dr. Bill Lloyd joins us now from Sacramento where breathing all this stuff certainly can't be good for you. You're far north from the Los Angeles area where the fires are but have you have been smelling any of the smoke? Has it drifted that far north to Sacramento yet?
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON: No, Fredricka, we are about 300 miles north of the trouble. We're about 80 miles up the road though from -- what's the big lake? Lake Tahoe, northern California and they have fires there of course throughout the summer.
So we are used to smelling it and seeing it in the air. One thing that's important to remember about all of this smoke is every time you have a molecule of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, that's one less molecule of oxygen you have in the air. So for people who may be sick or for people who may be at risk for being sick, it may be just what they need to tip them over.
WHITFIELD: Wow, because you're breathing so much more in. If it were just the wood burning, that would be one thing. But we are talking about the toxins in the air as Elizabeth explained in her piece. But there are paints, all these chemicals burning along with the houses. So talk to me about why this is the kind of stuff that you want to keep out of your lungs.
LLOYD: Sure. As she mentioned, these particles are so small, there's at the level of molecules. So they're going to pass through all the junky little filters and get inside your airway and irritate the airway.
So obviously for people who are allergic or have an asthmatic problem, it's going to make them sick very, very quickly.
But it's also important to know that because they are getting less oxygen then they are supposed to be getting, people who have a compromised heart, who have other serious health conditions may be sick as well. So Fredricka, it may not be a cough that's your first sign that you're having trouble with smoke inhalation. It might be pressure on your chest or pain in your chest. If you have those kind of symptoms, whether you're in southern California or anywhere else, you've got to get medical attention. WHITFIELD: Wow. So you need to really pay attention to your body. It may be telling you somebody. But say you're the person who really can't get out of the area. You can't hop on a plane. You can't get in a car and go far. So what can you do? You recognize that these symptoms mean you're breathing in too much junk. Where do you go?
LLOYD: You're going to have to limit your exposure. Limit your exposure and that means of course close the windows and turn on the air conditioner.
Make sure the air intake is shut off on the air conditioner so you're not sucking in outdoor air as well. You can recirculate that air inside the house again and again.
Just like you're supposed to be exercising outdoors. Don't be exercising indoors either. Take a chill for a few days, relax and wait for the smoke to clear before you go out and resume an exercise schedule.
And look after everybody else, children, your neighbors, the elderly, because they are always at risk when there's any kind of crisis like this, or people who live in the woods who may have lost contact because of utilities. Many of these people who live on mountain sides, they have their own water supply, they have their own electricity supply. They may have propane gas tanks. They are at enormous risk and we need to check on them, even after the fires have cleared.
WHITFIELD: And is this stuff sick or bad enough in the air in the L.A., San Diego area that you can actually suffer some permanent lung damage from all of this?
LLOYD: Well you know, I heard a calculation from a pulmonary expert earlier this week that during the height of the fire when all of the smoke was being generated, and the smoke is still there even though the fires are going away because of the terrain in southern California, inhaling that smoke is equivalent to two packs a day, every hour.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my. Every hour?
LLOYD: Every hour.
WHITFIELD: Good gosh.
LLOYD: So you bet, there can be long-term effects. Anyone who's at risk needs to get out of town until the smoke clear.
WHITFIELD: Wow, get out of town or at least find the best kind of mask you can if you're going to stay in the air. Thanks so much, Dr. Bill Lloyd.
LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.
WHITFIELD: OK. Much more in the NEWSROOM straight ahead. A lot more on the fire and everything else. Melissa Long is here to give us a preview of what's ahead.
MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You were just focusing on the health angle. We're going to focus on money and politics. Democrats have been saying, where is the money? They really had to fight for it. But the White House says it was there all along. So we're going to explore that angle coming up. We're going to find out who is right and who has been telling the truth? We're going to keep them honest.
Then, say you had a lot of cars stopping by your neighborhood, in one particular house. It might be a bit peculiar, right? Well.
WHITFIELD: Yes, if they're not invited guests.
LONG: Well, these may have been very invited guests. There is a probe going on in San Antonio, in this neighborhood, possibly an escort service, possible a prostitution ring. But just don't think in terms of geography. Think nationwide because they have uncovered apparently, they even seized a computer that has records, names, financial information. Exactly. And it could be -- police are calling this the biggest prostitution sting in San Antonio's history.
WHITFIELD: Ouch.
LONG: So we're going to find out more about those stories at the top of the hour.
WHITFIELD: And maybe they will tell us how that measures up to the others. There have been some case in Louisiana, high-profile. We have heard about the high-profile Washington area escort or alleged escort. I still use the word alleged right? Some of the things were not proven yet.
LONG: And this one is an alleged one as well.
WHITFIELD: Lots of stuff straight ahead. Fiery on both topics. All right, thanks a lot, Melissa.
All right well in our health for her segment today, changing advice for breast cancer patients. A new study seems to contradict previous theories about support groups. But researchers still say if you're in the fight of your life, a little extra backing certainly can't hurt. Here's Judy Fortin.
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JUDY FORTION, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Support groups may help women with recurrent or severe breast cancer. But researchers say the experience won't prolong their lives. A new study puts into question what doctors had been telling their cancer patients for years: join a support group if you opportunity live longer.
Now in an article published in the September 1st issue of "Cancer," the Journal of the American Cancer Society turns around that advice and said, joins a support group, but for other reasons than extending your life. DR. WENDY LENZ, GEORGIA CANCER SPECIALISTS: What we do find in all of the studies that are done is that people have much less stress and distress in their lives. Their pain, if they are experiencing pain is diminished. Their levels of depression and anxiety are markedly diminished. Their mood is elevated and overall their quality is life is significantly improved.
FORTIN: Even in formal groups and online resources have a beneficial effect with women with breast cancer.
LENZ: It's the same principle. You're able to share information. You're able to learn from other people. You're not alone.
FORTIN: Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Take a look at this mob scene. Cops, cameras, paparazzi, the big ole Jackie O shades. What do you think this means? Who is beyond those heads right there? Yes, you guessed it. Poor Britney Spears. Once again back in court, fighting over custody or at least visitation of her children. All of that coming up in the NEWSROOM.
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WHITFIELD: All right, checking some other news across America. Four Houston children all under the age of 2 tested positive for cocaine. Police aren't sure how the drug got into their systems. All eight kids in the family have been placed into foster care. The parents now facing felony charges.
And New Hampshire police and the FBI trying to find the source of a green laser light. It was aimed at a commuter plane over New Hampshire this week. The pilot reported seeing the light as he flew over Manchester. The flight was not affected and the plane did land safely.
And the rapper known as T.I. has been ordered to remain in home confinement while he awaits trial on weapons charges. He was released from prison Friday on $3 million bond.
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T.I., RAPPER: I don't have much to say. I just want to thank all of the fans for your continued prayers and support. Due to the severity of the situation, I must decline comment and have you refer to my counsel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, will also be monitored 24 hours a day.
And then poor troubled pop princess Britney Spears. She's expected to get some mommy time this weekend with her boys. That's good news. But it comes at a price. She and ex-hubby Kevin Federline were back in a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday for yet another closed- door hearing in her ongoing custody battle. A ruling could come as early as Tuesday. Our Kareen Wynter has the latest on the singer's legal woes.
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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britney Spears raced into a downtown Los Angeles courthouse Friday, surrounded by mobs of cameras and flashing lights. It's the singer's second court appearance in as many weeks in the ongoing legal battle with ex Kevin Federline for custody of the two children.
Both Federline and Spears testified during Friday's closed-door hearing. While the commissioner hasn't issued a ruling yet, Federline's attorney told the reporters the current order remains in effect, with Spears getting only supervised visitation that now extend to weekends.
Federline still has full physical custody of one-year-old Jayden James and two-year-old Sean Preston. Earlier in the week, Spears regained temporary supervised visitation rights after having them suspended for violating a court order.
The court wouldn't say which mandate was broken, but Spears is required to undergo random twice weekly drug and alcohol testing. She must also meet weekly with a parenting coach and take parenting classes.
On Thursday, the singer had to face hit-and-run misdemeanor charges from an incident back in August when Spears' car allegedly hit another vehicle in a parking lot.
The court dismissed the charges since Spears paid for the damages. But the pop star still faces a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license at the time. That's set for pretrial hearing the end of November. In Los Angeles, I'm Kareen Wynter.
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WHITFIELD: All right and get this -- an elderly man in Florida might not have sight. But you know what, he has foresight.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I bought that gun back 25, 30 years ago for my protection.
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WHITFIELD: He knows how to use it, too. A robber probably thought he would be an easy target. Boy, was he wrong. That story coming up.
But first -- today's news quiz. How many electoral votes does Florida have? The answer when we come right back.
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WHITFIELD: Before the break, we asked you this question -- how many electoral votes does Florida have? The answer -- ta-da, 25. It takes 270 votes or more to become president of the United States. Why that state is so pivotal.
An injured dolphin is becoming an inspiration at a Florida aquarium. Winter is the dolphin's name. The bottle nosed dolphin lost her tail to a crab trap two years ago and now she has a prosthetic tail and is bonding with visitors with similar disabilities. The Clearwater Aquarium is starting a new program giving amputees a chance to get up close and personal with Winter free of charge. Organizers say amputees and the dolphins have a natural affinity for one another.
And since we are still talking about spunky living beings, how about this guy? Independent and courageous as well. Three words to describe a Florida man who didn't let blindness get in the way when a would-be thief came calling. Stacey Samuel with our affiliate WCJB has the story from Gainesville.
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ARTHUR WILLIAMS, And I had my gun sitting out here, so I shot him.
STACEY SAMUEL, WCJB CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Arthur Williams shot an intruder who broke into his home. You might call it a shot in the dark since Williams has spent the last 61 of his 79 years legally blind.
WILLIAMS: Ain't got no sight.
SAMUEL: Williams a graduate of Florida's School for the Deaf and Blind lives on a lonely parcel of land with no direct neighbors. So he has learned to rely on himself for most things, including his safety.
WILLIAMS: I bought that gun about 25, 30 years ago for my protection.
SAMUEL: Retired from his job as a taxi dispatcher, Williams called police just after 3:00 a.m. as the intruder laid bleeding on his floor.
WILLIAMS: I called them.
SAMUEL: After you shot him?
WILLIAMS: Yeah.
LT. KEITH KAMEG, GAINESVILLE POLICE: He called and clearly said, "I shot somebody who had broken into my home." SAMUEL: Gainesville Police Department say they found 28-year-old Cevaughn Curtis Jr. bleeding from the neck. Curtis, who has previous records, will be charged with battery of an elderly man and burglary. That is once he's released from the hospital.
Did he push you? Did he aggress you at all?
WILLIAMS: Right in my ribs here.
SAMUEL: Williams admits that for an instant he was scared and his attacker, he probably didn't bargain for this.
KAMEG: This is the classic example, if you commit a crime, you can get hurt.
SAMUEL: Williams' gun is in police custody for now and police are praising this would-be victim for protecting himself.
KAMEG: There are certain times we tell you, you have to do the things in your life to keep you safe, and he did.
SAMUEL: Stacey Samuel, WCJB, TV 20 news.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, go Arthur Williams. All right from the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The next hour of the NEWSROOM with Melissa Long starts right now.
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